Photo: Phylicia Willis
First of all, congrats on your engagement – we seriously cannot express how much it means to us to help you celebrate your biggest moments in life! We have a passion for making your event above and beyond your wildest dreams. To ensure we share our insider tips and tricks when it comes to finding the right venue for you, we have compiled the check list below for you and your honey!
Photo: Phylicia Willis
Talk to a planner. We know that it is a daunting task to look through all the venues you can search up on the internet. So we think the way to go is to talk to a planner first, they will know the questions to ask to guide you in the right direction for style, guest count, must haves, packages, and so much more. They work very closely with venues on many projects, or even if it is a new venue they haven’t worked at, they will know how to get the right information to see if they are the right fit for you. Planners know the space layout, can vision up the capabilities of any space, and the items and vendor teams you will need to transform any space into your dreams.
Start your searching and planning early. And don’t be scared to be decisive. This is a key part into knowing what you want and staying on the fence until the last minute. If you are not sure about your wants, needs, and designs – talk to some wedding planners, friends, co-workers who have planned weddings, or even voice your concerns with the venue. It is very normal to question if something is the right fit. Sooo much goes into just picking your venue, so do not settle for less and something that will blow your budget. Location, packages offered, space, capacity, design, dates available, and so much more all has to line up and it’s no surprise that this is a hard decision you have to make since you’ve never had to deal with this before!
Photo: Phylicia Willis
Make sure to have your design and vision are decided on. You will need to make sure your venues vibe matches your design. We know it is frustrating to see a venue that is almost right, expect that small parking lot.. vibes being too rustic.. or the wedding party suites that are as small as a closet, etc. This is where we recommend you really sleep on it, if you don’t sleep well it may be because this venue isn’t the right fit. This is where planners can come in and really narrow down venues you may not have known of and help give you choices so you do not have to feel overwhelmed.
Make sure to have a budget in mind if not already totally set. We have seen venues that have many styles of pricing formats. It all depends on the type of venue, if they provide any rental items, have an in-house kitchen, etc. When you think about your overall budget, you must also consider the guest count, décor, floral, and rental budgets. These are going to be essential to transform a space, and these factors can add up quickly on a large scale. This is why it is so important to make sure your venue showcases your style, conveniences you need, and all other accommodations you would need for your guests. An insider tip for breaking down your budget is to create an overall budget per category and making sure you prioritize your funds percentages to the most important categories. If you end up spending too much on the venue rental you could leave yourself with not enough to transform the space or hire all the entertainment needed for your big day. Likewise with any other vendor as well. If you spend too much on catering or have too high of a guest count, you may not be able to decorate your space the way you envisioned.
Photo: Phylicia Willis
Guest experience and what venues offer go a long way in the overall planning of your celebrations. If there is not enough parking, or you have an out-of-town event and don’t have hotels near by your guests could have some discomfort. You also want to make sure the guests have plenty of space and service at your venue. This could mean your venue has a full-service staff, or that you would have to hire this staff elsewhere. This gets back to the budget and how you will need to plan and get quotes for items your venue does not offer. This is why venue pricing flocculates so much in the event world. You also want to consider venues with and without inhouse catering, as many caterers and venues have a minimum you have to reach. But often times, this minimum does not include taxes, service fees, gratuity, etc.
Listen to your gut. This should go without saying, but if you think something is off, then listen to yourself and don’t look back. We have seen client’s get hung up in ALL the many, many choices and can’t figure out what is right for them. Take a deep breathe, this is a big decision and listening to your gut will ultimately guide your event right into place. Our pro tip is to have a planner that will advocate for you and your expectations – it is so important to find the planner that can be your bestie while pulling all of these moving parts together.
Photo: Phylicia Willis
And remember, Seeded Events and Design is always here for you too. We go on site visits, have meetings throughout the planning process, and work with your planner/venue to make sure everything runs smooth and comes together. Please reach out to us for a custom quote, questions, or ideas you wants us to talk about more! We love hearing from you guys and cannot not wait to make your next celebration stunning!